t is the beginning of another school year and I wish students the best in the months ahead.
As this goes to press, staff have just presented their report with final recommendations for elementary school closures inside the Greenbelt. Schools recommended for closure are Devonshire, Elgin, Elmdale, General Vanier, Grant, Lamira Dow Billings, Merivale, Mutchmor, and Overbrook. Trustees are scheduled to vote on these closures next month, on October 23. Any closures approved by the board are to take effect by September 2001.
As readers know, this school closure process has very serious implications for residents in the core area of Ottawa, including students, their families and all those who value schools as hubs of community activity. Unfortunately, school closures have become a reality across Ontario due to a provincial government grant formula which ties funding for new school construction in high-growth areas to the elimination of "surplus" pupil places in older, downtown neighborhoods.
The OCDSB houses more than 6500 students in about 280 portable classrooms (elementary and secondary), located for the most part outside the Greenbelt. Yet inside theGreenbelt, in older, urban neighborhoods, there is, according to the guidelines set down by the province, extra space in several of the schools. Unfortunately these guidelines do not consider adult education and community recreation programs or even new child care programs as legitimate uses of school space.
As far as Mutchmor is concerned, the staff report recommends, along with the closure decision, that Mutchmor's English program students be directed to First Avenue School, the English Congregated Gifted students be directed to Hopewell and the Early French Immersion (EFI) Congregated Gifted students be directed to Lady Evelyn.
I agree with those groups and individuals who submitted reports earlier this summer strongly opposing the loss of a viable community school (Mutchmor) and rejecting the resultant overcrowding at both First Avenue and Hopewell. I question the program implications of this closure decision, such as the build-up of gifted programs at Hopewell, the introduction of a small number of EFI classes at Lady Evelyn and the absence of a Middle French Immersion program in this part of the system.
Furthermore, I support the view that closure decisions are premature,particularly with explosive growth and changing demographics across Ottawa-Carleton. The Region of Ottawa-Carleton is undertaking a study this fall to prepare population projections, including detailed age group projections by sub-areas and this report is to be ready early in the year 2001.
Why should trustees rush their decisions in October and base their analysis on projections that are now out of date? Schools in our central part of Ottawa are, on average, 81% full and this is according to the rigid provincial government definition of school space. The board may end up closing schools it will need a few years down the road.
Please get involved in this debate in the coming weeks. To access the staff report and learn of meetings between now and October 23, check the OCDSB web site at www.ocdsb.edu.on.ca or call the OCDSB automated information line at 596-8222. Contact me at any time.
The Ministry of Education and Training is coming out this fall with a new regulation to strengthen the advisory role of school councils. Parents are to "actively participate" in a number of ways, including the development of school improvement plans, the review of the Education Quality and Accountability Office's (EQAO) results for their schools, and the selection process for principals and vice-principals. I have been concerned about the limited role forschool councils in principal selection across the OCDSB and I look forward to seeing the requirements under the new regulation.
Professional Activity Days
Finally, thanks again to Jim Watson for all his support of our students and schools during his term as Mayor of Ottawa. I wish him well at the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Lynn Graham
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
133 Greenbank Road
Nepean, Ontario, K2H 6L3
Tel: 730-3366 Fax: 730-3589
E-mail: lynn_graham@ocdsb.edu.on.ca